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Directions for the Future -- What YOU can do
Educate
- Learn all you can about Peak Oil. (To start, see the web site and book resources page.)
- Talk to family, neighbors and friends about fossil fuel depletion. Learn about the potential consequences of peak oil and what communities should do. Learn what other cities are doing to prepare.
- Host a Peak Oil House Party. Invite your friends and neighbors for a showing of the film, “The End of Suburbia” and discussion afterwards.
Participate
- Get involved in local peak oil meetings and forums.
- Join local and regional councils for futures planning around water, food, energy, and land use.
- Take part in local courses addressing agriculture, alternative energy technologies, economic localization (see below), etc.
- Communicate regularly with local, state and federal government representatives. Let your reps know what you think about peak oil, and what should be done
- Become a volunteer organizer with MICAS. We need people with a variety of skills to help us realize our community sustainability plans.
Reduce-Reuse-Recycle
Reduce your household energy requirements by:
- Shutting off lights as you leave rooms
- Converting to compact florescent or LED light bulbs throughout your house.
- Converting to energy-efficient appliances
- Shutting off computers when not in use.
- Getting a house energy audit and weatherizing your house with insulation and better windows.
- In summer, open your windows at night and close them during the day to reduce air conditioner use.
- Converting your oil-fired furnace to use bio-diesel fuel
- Setting your thermostat in winter at 65 degrees
- Using a lo-flo shower head
- Using low-flo toilets
- Hanging laundry inside or outside to dry
- Using a hand-mower, or only power-mow your lawn when grass is 4” long
- Using solar-powered garden and walk lights
- Maximizing solar energy use through solar hot-water heaters and photovoltaics
- Convert to a high-efficiency biomass stove
- Install a micro-hydro system where possible.
Reduce your transportation energy requirements by:
- Ridesharing/carpooling whenever possible, especially on commutes.
- Creating rideshare clubs for youth sports and school activities.
- Walking or riding a bicycle whenever possible
- Doing several errands on a single car trip.
- Work from home (telecommute) whenever possible.
- Turning off car ignition at stops where the wait is more than 30 seconds
- Buying highly gas-efficient automobiles or hybrid vehicles
- Taking public transportation.
- Keep your car tuned up and your tires properly inflated.
- Use bio-diesel in your diesel-engine car
Recycle/Reuse:
- Garbage. Use a compost-bin for food wastes to create natural fertilizer for your gardens
- Batteries: Many auto shops and electronics stores throughout the region accept various types of batteries for recycling. In addition, several companies offer convenient mail-in programs for businesses.
- Books: Many libraries accept donations of books, either for their lending service or for resale. Various community organizations have used book sales once a year. Many retirement homes welcome donations of used books and magazines.
- Bubble Wrap, Styrofoam, Peanuts and other Packing Materials: Most mail service stores will accept packing "peanuts" and bubble wrap for reuse.
- Construction Materials: Habitat for Humanity's ReStore will be glad to take your building materials castoffs to benefit their programs.
- Household items: Many charities are looking for donations of household items they can resell. Locally, sign up with Cheshire County Freecycle at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cheshirecountyfreecycle/
- Eyeglasses: Many local opticians have collection containers for the Lions Clubs program that collects, repairs and redistributes old eyeglass lenses and frames to people in need.
Localize Our Economy
- “Buy Local” – money spent in locally-owned businesses keeps more local money circulating in our community, creating more local wealth, increasing local employment, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, and helping to insulate our community from economic shifts nationally and internationally.
- Support your local farms. Buy shares in local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farms.
- Grow your own food -- start a permaculture garden or small-scale farm.
- If you are a business owner (or want to be), get involved in economic localization efforts through community-wide asset mapping, economic “leakage” assessments, import substitution business development (for raw input materials and local production), low-interest community loan funds, local currencies, worker-owned coops, and local business alliances.
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